Significance of Ecotheology Ituma The Significance of Ecotheology in a Significantly Changing Climate by Ezichi A. Ituma, PhD Department of Religion and Cultural Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka Publication details: (2009) Proceedings of National Conference on Climate Change and the Environment, Department of Geography, University of Nigeria, Nsukka Abstract Climate change is a natural phenomenon which should be expected. However, the rate at which climate is changing in recent years is rather worrisome and requires urgent attention to restore the natural equilibrium. This change is noticed in global warming which is attributed to high increase in the greenhouse gases caused by natural and anthropogenic emissions. God in his wisdom has designed some processes to maintain equilibrium. When this equilibrium is maintained the temperature of the earth‟s surface remains relatively constant. Man has divine mandate to manage the earth‟s resources in such a manner that shows respect for God who Himself owns creation which in turn maintains the equilibrium. This is the crux of ecotheology. The paper also maintains that there is African approach to ecological theology on the matrix of which climate problems could be positively addressed. Introduction The encompassing reality of climate change observed as “Global warning” is a problem that should concern every school of thought if lasting solution is to be proffered. It is not the climatologist alone or the enlightened that is affected. It is a problem that has affected everybody. For us to pretend that the Greenhouse effect is a problem that will be solved only by the scientist is a mistake that will yield adverse effect more devastating than what we currently face. The theologian must therefore lend his voice to proffer solution. All hands must be on deck before the present climatic epidemic turns out a religious nightmare called “hell fire” advertised in the religious books. It is also necessary to observe that the complacency in many African societies as against the near- mythologize approach of the Western societies concerning this climate change is worrisome. Many Africans think the global warming is a problem created by the Westerners and therefore should be solved by Westerners. Some other Africans think that the problem is such a complex scientific issue that only those technologically and scientifically advanced societies can solve it. These are erroneous positions that should be corrected and this paper is prepared to achieve that. 2009 Page 1 Significance of Ecotheology Ituma The aim of this paper is to establish that biblical Ecotheology from African perspective can go a long way to proffering solution to the global warming. It stands on the matrix that Africans are not passive recipients of Jewish Christianity and Western technology. Africans are very active in these cultures, receiving and contextualizing. The paper insists that it could be far reaching to realize that in the African society man as a cognate entity exists in a series integrated relationship. It is African culture for human beings to interact healthily with the super humans – spirits, divinities and ancestors. Any upset of this equilibrium brings untold hardship that could be very devastating and calamitous. Africans can contribute her quota in an African way to solving the environmental problem of climate change. There is African approach to ecological theology on the matrix of which climate problems could be positively addressed. This establishes the genuineness of African initiative in ecotheology and takes its bearing from there to address the climatic change. Climate change Climate change describes “the variability or average state of the atmosphere or average weather over time scales ranging from decades to millions of years”1. This is not a new phenomenon. Just as weather changes day by day the climate also changes and noticeable over a long period of time. These changes could be caused by natural processes or by human activities. Over the long period of the history of the world the earth has gone through series of climate changes. What becomes a problem in climate change is an accumulated body of noticeable evidence creating a reasonable impact on the habitat within a short space of time. Climate change could cause a decrease or increase in the surface temperature over a long period of time. There is an overwhelming consensus among scientists that the globe is experiencing rapid climatic change. The change is very significant because its effects are felt noticeably around the globe. There is increase in temperature, ice caps are melting faster, hurricanes, and other natural disaster are experienced in various parts of the globe quite regularly and thousands of people are already becoming climatic change refugees. World Health Report 2002 says that “climate change was estimated to be responsible in 2000 for approximately 2.4% of worldwide diarrhea, and 6% of malaria in some middle- income countries. Epidemics of weather and climate-sensitive infectious diseases such as malaria and 2009 Page 2 Significance of Ecotheology Ituma meningitis will have a devastating effect on human health and socio-economic development and severely overburden health systems in many parts of the world”2. Greenhouse Effect The greenhouse effect is not a hypothetical ideology. It is such a practical experience that could be explained even from our daily experiences. It describes the trapping in of solar energy in the surface earth due to the blanketing gaseous layer in the atmosphere. It could be described in simpler terms with examples from daily experiences in a greenhouse experiment. A glasshouse will usually allow sunlight into the house. But this trapped sun energy does not leave the house at the rate it came in. In fact much of the energy is trapped inside. This trapped energy causes the house to heat up. The same experience is observed when a car is packed in the sun. Because the glasses are wind up sunlight goes into the care. Once absorbed the solar energy is trapped inside the car making the car to be very hot. If the glasses are wind down the solar energy easily escapes into the atmosphere outside the car. Greenhouse gases include water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and certain industrial gases. They allow sunlight enter the atmosphere. Once this sunlight reaches the earth surface it is released back into the atmosphere. Some of the energy passes back into the space but much of it still remains trapped inside.3 “Over time, if atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases remain relatively stable, the amount of energy sent from the sun to the earth‟s surface should be about the same as the amount of energy radiated back into space, leaving the temperature of the earth‟s surface roughly constant.”4 Global Warning It has already been observed that climate change could bring about increase or decrease in global temperature. Temperature change could fluctuate but the average will usually be expected to be relatively stable. If there is a noticeable average increase it becomes global warming. Global warming may not always be a point of deep concern except where it becomes worrisomely obvious. Karin Lindinger has noted that the global problem “is not only about how much the earth is warming, it is also about how fast 2009 Page 3 Significance of Ecotheology Ituma it is warming”5. The rate of increase of global warming is becoming a serious threat to human life. Scientists have noted that “out of the 20 warmest years on record, 19 have occurred since 1980. The three hottest years ever observed have all occurred in the last eight years, even.”6 It is also on record that “the world has warmed 0.740C in the past hundred years and scientists are clear that the world will get warmer this century due to further increase in greenhouse gas concentrations. Global average temperature is forecast to rise 40C (7.20F) towards the end of the 21st century.”7 The Meeting Point of Science and Religion in Ecotheology Science is man‟s effort to explain, through systematic observation and empirical means, God‟s infinite design. The more man enquires into the profundity of the unknown, the more he realizes that there are so much unknown, and the more he wants to know the unknown. By divine enablement, called knowledge, he could grab, though very insignificantly little, relative to what is unknown, God‟s design he calls nature. The divine command was “Be faithful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it” (Gen.1:28). The English Version that has “subdue” is not a better interpretation. The correct interpretation of the word is that man should have control over creation. This divine declaration confers on man the ability to understand creation. By the knowledge coming from this divine empowerment man is able to simulate the creation of God to achieve some scientific goals. Consider the ship, for example, it is a simulation of the fish; aeroplane is a simulation of the birds of the air. Even the computer is a simulation of the human brain and its environment. God, a Perfect Designer God has created nature, designing some recycling process which maintains the equilibrium. What do we have from God to recycle the ecological effects? God has put the greenhouse effect in place, for example, to ensure that life continues. “Seen from space, our atmosphere is but a tiny layer of gas around a huge bulky planet. But it is this gaseous outer ring and it‟s misleadingly called greenhouse effect that makes life on earth possible”8 God in his wisdom has designed some processes to maintain equilibrium. When the sunlight reaches the earth, passing through the blanket of greenhouse gases the solar energy is sent back into the atmosphere.